SEASIDE – For one work crew, plans for a relaxing holiday weekend went down the drain.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. Saturday, a series of business owners along Broadway, including the Vista Sea Cafe, reported plumbing problems. Dave Patch of Seaside’s public works department was the first to respond, said Chris Davies, the public works director.

Attempts to clear a portion of the sewer line failed, and city surveyor Neal Wallace helped in determining that a section of sewer line had been broken. The problem was affecting businesses at part of the downtown core – both sides of Broadway west of the intersection with Columbia Street.

“We knew with Memorial Day Weekend there was no way we were going to close Broadway on a sunny Sunday” to do repair work, Davies said. “The priority was to keep the system running at this busy time.”

So the city crew enlisted the help of Clean Sweep Maintenance workers under Ben Olson and worked through the night.

For an unknown reason, part of the concrete sewer main installed 23 years ago had cracked and rock and other debris above it had fallen and blocked the pipe, Davies said. The work crews replaced a 5-foot section.

The project, estimated to dip $12,000 out of city sewer funds, was finished by 8 a.m.